Friday, May 31, 2013

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - June: A Flowering Bunch

Welcome to the Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month we’re featuring the June  set A Flowering Bunch, a set of 10 stamps. If you have come here from Elizabeth Mindemann's blog, you’re in the right place! There are more than 50 independent Close to My Heart consultants sharing artwork made using the Stamp of the Month and other great Close to My Heart products. Hopping is simple to do – just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one.

The Blog Hop is a great big circle. Start here and work your way around. If you get lost along the way you’ll find a complete list of participating consultants here. You can use this list to pick up where you left off.

Off we go!



I love the style of this stamp set, like someone just sat down and started doodling. It's fun and playful and has so many possibilities. On the other hand, as much as I really like this set, I wasn't sure how I wanted to use it. I started out by placing the stamp set next to various papers and knew when I saw it with this pink pattern from the Chantilly paper pack that this was it.




The flower offered a great opportunity to use several different colors, as well as a chance to use up some of the buttons I have collected over the last few years. I found that the delicate lines of the flower needed some help in standing out from the background, so I layered each one with cardstock of the same color.

Here is my Supply List:
S1306 A Flowering Bunch stamp set
1385 White Daisy cardstock
X7163B Chantilly paper packet
Z2193 Cotton Candy Exclusive Inks stamp pad
Z2170 Ruby Exclusive Inks stamp pad
Z2155 Topiary Exclusive Inks stamp pad
Z2197 Pear Exclusive Inks stamp pad
Z2191 Sunset Exclusive Inks stamp pad
Z2110 Buttercup Exclusive Inks stamp pad
Various Close to My Heart Buttons
Z1081 Colonial White Waxy Flax


Now “Hop” on over to Michelle Johns' blog to see her work, and be sure to visit each consultant’s blog to get some great crafting inspiration and other fun ideas! Don’t forget, this exclusive stamp set is only available through June 30th! Contact me to get yours today!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Claire Cards with Cricut Images & Dimensional Elements

I will admit it. I got both the Art Philosophy and Artiste Cricut cartridges almost as soon as they were available; however, even though they each came with three exclusive stamp sets and three sheets of Dimensional Elements shapes, I didn't use them. A few months ago I realized that I really needed to create a workshop where I put those stamp sets and chipboard pieces to use. 

First I decided which two stamp sets would be most appropriate for the project I had in mind. I chose one from each cartridge, and they both contain sentiments. Next I decided I wanted to use my trusty old Wishes book that's full of great card patterns and ideas, and I decided that the Just Because Workshop would be perfect for my project.

In the end I made 14 cards with the Claire paper packet, each one with a different sentiment. I love how it all came out!








If you'd like more information on this project, please feel free to contact me! I'd be happy to show you how!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Love Your Layout: May 2013



Use Studio J®, Close To My Heart's online scrapbooking software, to create a beautiful layout in just minutes by watching this month's Love Your Layout(sm) video. You'll learn creative techniques on how to layer My Stickease® images, use black and white photos, and add borders for a summery layout in the Surf's Up kit. Log in to Studio J to create it yourself while you watch!

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Packed with Punch



No Cricut? No problem! Learn how you can use Close to My Heart circle punches to create beautiful artwork. It's a great way to pack some punch into your papercrafting!

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Studio J® Custom Photo Wells



If you thought Studio J was great before, wait until you discover the creative potential of being able to add and customize photo wells on your Studio J layouts.

If you've never tried Studio J, there's never been a better time to see what it's all about. The best part is that you can play as much as you want - for FREE! Absolutely no purchase necessary.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Stamp Scrubber



Learn how to use the My Acrylix® stamp scrubber from Close To My Heart to clean My Acrylix® stamp sets and keep them in tip-top shape.


I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this new scrubber! If you're looking to replace yours, I highly recommend giving this one a try!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Later Sk8er Birthday Card Workshop

 
About every other month I teach a project to fellow consultants at our local team training. For May I designed a birthday card workshop using the Later Sk8er paper packet, Washi Tape, Outdoor Denim Chevron Ribbon, Epoxy Bubbles, and both the Joyful Birthday and Perfect Fit - Birthday stamp sets. I also wanted to highlight just a small portion of the many great card bases that can be cut with the Art Philosophy and Artiste Cricut cartridges.



Card 1
 
Card 2

Card 3

Card 4


Card 5


Card 6

 

Even though this paper has a masculine theme, I tried to make some of the cards more feminine.
 


Card 7

Card 8

Card 9

Card 10

Card 11

Card 12

 
I'm new to using Washi Tape. I know it's been around a while, but until Close to My Heart added some to the catalog, I just hadn't tried it. I had fun using it in various ways on the cards. My favorite is the one where I put two rows of it across the bottom of the card. (Card #8)
 
If you'd like to know more about now I created these cards, please feel free to contact me!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

National Scrapbooking Month - Dream Pop!



The Dream Pop papers are GREAT for summer! Watch this short video for more information.